Monocolumn: Stopping Peeing In Public

Monocolumn is Monocle’s daily bulletin of news and opinion. Catch up with previous editions here.

In New Delhi, the humble public toilet goes by any number of names: wall, footpath, tree, abandoned car, occupied car.

Now, officials in the capital hope a series of new “five-star” luxury public toilets will help tackle the problem of public urination.

Built in a sort of Mogul-fort-meets-council-toilet-block style, the facilities are being thrown up at a rapid pace at markets and other landmarks across the city before the Commonwealth Games begin in October.

Many point to the city’s lack of public toilets as a reason for the plague of public urination. Unable to pop into a hotel or café, the city’s rickshaw drivers and labourers have no other option than to pee al fresco. While plausible enough, the theory doesn’t take into account the fact that women seem to make it through the day without needing to use the footpath for anything other than its intended purpose.

“It’s not about lack of education,” says Delhi author Mayank Austen Soofi, who has four books on the capital coming out next month.

“I have seen rich men getting out of their big cars and peeing in full public view. One day India may still become a First World nation, but we’ll still pee where we want to,” he adds.

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